GALEN ON HIS OWN BOOKS

PAGE 10

...of the things written by me, and the specific purpose for each of them. You yourself know the reason why many people read my works as if they were their own, excellent Bassus original: "kratiste Basse." Bassus was a Roman of high status, possibly a consul, to whom Galen dedicated several works. These writings were given to friends or students without a title original: "inscriptio," referring to the formal title and author's name usually found at the beginning or end of a scroll. They were not intended for public release original: "ekdosin". Instead, they were made for those specific individuals who had requested records of the lectures they had heard.

When some of these original recipients died, those who inherited the texts enjoyed them and read them publicly as if they were their own. Others obtained copies from the original owners and took them back to their own home countries. While living there, they used these texts to give public demonstrations of their own learning, though each did so in a different manner. In time, these men were all exposed as frauds. Many who later acquired these books wrote my name on them. However, when they discovered that these copies did not match other versions in circulation, they brought them to me and asked me to correct the errors.

As I have said, these were not written for publication. They were tailored to the habits and needs of those who asked for them. It is therefore natural that some are long while others are brief. The explanations and the presentation of the medical theories may be either complete or unfinished. For example, those written for...